44th NCW Sports Awards features
new achievements by athletes
 New NCW Sports Awards standards were established by present and former Wenatchee athletes Isaiah Brandt-Sims and Hannah Kiser as a result of being honored this year. Joe Harris, formerly of Chelan, equalled a record as well.
Brandt-Sims continued to make his mark athletically by being named North Central Washington Sports Awards High School Male Athlete of the Year for 2013-14. The recently graduated Wenatchee High senior, who is bound for Stanford, became the first male athlete in the 44-year span of the NCW Sports Awards to receive the award three times in the high school category. Brandt-Sims, previously co-recipient with Omak's Dylan Green as a freshman as well as last year, joins former Cascade standout Megan Franza as the only three time recipients while competing in high school.
The Wenatchee star completed his prep athletic career having won Washington state 4A track titles in both the 100 and 200 meter sprints for four consecutive years. This past spring, he overcame a leg stress fracture that forced him to the sidelines for most of the season. Brandt-Sims came back to win 100 and 200 meter dashes at the district meet to qualify for state. He was also a second team all-state 4A running back on the gridiron and Big 9 Conference 'Offensive Most Valuable Player' who packed the ball for 1,469 yards his senior campaign and set a school career record of 3,470 yards rushing for the Panthers.
Also stepping into uncharted territory, Kiser, a former Wenatchee distance runner, was honored with a fourth consecutive College Female Athlete of the Year award and became the first to ever receive that many Sports Awards as a collegian. She competed in both cross-country and track for the University of Idaho. As a harrier, Kiser finished 12th at the NCAA-I Championships after winning the Western Athletic Conference cross-country title. She was also named the WAC's 'Outstanding Track Performer' after placing first at the conference championships in the 1500, 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs.
Harris, a University of Virginia basketball standout who prepped at Chelan High School, received the College Male Athlete of the Year award. He averaged 12.0 points per game, was a 3rd team all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, received a berth on the U.S. Basketball Writers of America (USBWA) all-District 3 team, led the Cavaliers to the ACC title and earned the league championship tournament's MVP award. Harris was recently selected in the second round of the NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This was the basketball standout's third consecutive athlete of the year award in the collegiate category which ties him with Lanny Davidson (Ephrata/Eastern Washington wrestling 1975, 76, 77), Will Derting (Okanogan/Washington State football 2003, 04, 05) and David Pendergraft (Brewster/Gonzaga basketball 2006, 07, 08) for the most awards received by a Male College Athlete.
Eastmont's Rebecca Tarbert was the recipient of the High School Female Athlete of the Year award. She was an all-Big 9 forward in soccer and finished second in the 200 and third in the 100 meter dashes at the state 4A meet. Tarbert was named the Big 9 'Outstanding Female Track Athlete' after winning both the 100 and 200 meter district titles.
Two state 1A championship contingents received Male and Female Team of the Year awards - Quincy soccer and Cascade volleyball. The coaches of those squads were also honored with Quincy's Arturo Guerrero as Male Team Coach of the Year and Cascade's Marni McMahon as Female Team Coach of the Year.
For the first time, no banquet was held. However, the selection process remained unchanged with an initial pool of 594 high school male athletes and 420 high school female athletes earning nominations as potential finalists. In college ranks, 58 males and 54 females were considered.
The NCW Sports Awards was founded in 1971 to honor North Central Washington's finest athletes, teams and coaches. It is the third oldest regional athletic awards program in the state with only Seattle's and Spokane's with more longevity.
2014 Sports Awards recipients –
HIGH SCHOOL MALE ATHLETE-OF-THE-YEAR
Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Wenatchee - his 3rd Sports Award (repeated as High School Male Athlete recipient)
HIGH SCHOOL FEMALE ATHLETE-OF-THE-YEAR
Rebecca Tarbert, Eastmont
COLLEGE MALE ATHLETE-OF-THE-YEAR
Joe Harris (Chelan) Virginia basketball - his 3rd Sports Award (he has received three consecutive Sports Awards in this category)
COLLEGE FEMALE ATHLETE-OF-THE-YEAR
Hannah Kiser (Wenatchee) Idaho cross-country & track - her 4th Sports Award (she has received four consecutive Sports Awards in this category)
MALE TEAM COACH-OF-THE-YEAR
Arturo Guerrero, Quincy soccer
FEMALE TEAM COACH-OF-THE-YEAR
Marni McMahon, Cascade volleyball
MALE TEAM-OF-THE-YEAR
Quincy soccer
FEMALE TEAM-OF-THE-YEAR
Cascade volleyball
Additional facts –
- At 44 years, the NCW Sports Awards is the third oldest regional athletic recognition event in the state. Only Seattle’s “Sports Stars of the Year” (established in 1936) and Spokane’s “Inland Northwest Sports Awards” (1948) have more longevity.
- Currently, there are a total of eight regional athletic awards events in operation including Seattle’s “Sports Stars of the Year,” Spokane’s “Inland Northwest Sports Awards,” Wenatchee’s “NCW Sports Awards,” Walla Walla’s “Blue Mountain Sports Awards,” Aberdeen’s “Daily World Sports Awards,” Bremerton’s “Kitsap Sports Awards Banquet,” Yakima’s “Yakima Valley Sports Awards,” and Tacoma’s “Banquet of Champions.”
- This year 594 prep boys and 420 girls were considered to be superior athletes and received preliminary nominations as potential finalists. In collegiate categories, 58 males and 54 females earned nominations as potential finalists.
List of finalists –
High School Male Athlete
Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Wenatchee; Brian Burt, Eastmont; Jonathan Green, Ephrata; Milo Holston, Liberty Bell; Tyrus Kemp, Ephrata; Jacob Laird, Ephrata; Killion McGinnis, Eastmont; Justin Rivas, Okanogan; Asa Schwartz, Chelan; Dillon Sugg, Wenatchee; and Jim Townsend, Okanogan.
High School Female Athlete
Betsy Arlt, Eastmont; Hannah Bruggman, Wenatchee; Baylee Fontaine, Wenatchee; Breanne Knishka, Cashmere; Abby Phelps, Chelan; Kendall Sage, Ephrata; Ali Sealby, Wenatchee; Chandler Smith, Brewster; Sierra Speiker, Oroville; and Rebecca Tarbert, Eastmont.
College Male Athlete
Nicholas Boersma (Wenatchee) Idaho cross-country; Joe Harris (Chelan) Virginia basketball; Joe Green (Cashmere) Whitworth football & track; Trenton Osborn (Eastmont) Eastern Washington track; Ian Sagdal (Eastmont) Washington St. baseball; Jacob Sealby (Wenatchee) Washington St. track; Lucas Sealby (Wenatchee) Washington St. track; Patrick Simon (Ephrata) Seattle Pacific basketball; Eric Tinnell (Ephrata) Central Washington baseball; and Andrew Whalen (Ephrata) Northwestern golf.
College Female Athlete
Catie Arrigoni (Oroville) Eastern Washington track; Kelli Bowers (Chelan) Washington golf; Korynn Blanksma (Wenatchee) Washington St. soccer; Courtney Dietrich (Chelan) Sacramento St. volleyball; Taylor Gilbert (Cascade) Whitworth fastpitch; Jaicee Harris (Chelan) Washington St. volleyball; Jozie Kimes (Cashmere) Eastern Washington track; Hannah Kiser (Wenatchee) Idaho cross-country & track; Rachael Kraske (Omak) George Fox track; and Ashley Wright (Cascade) Eastern Washington volleyball.
Male Team Coach
Bob Bullis, Wenatchee track; Mike Carlquist, Okanogan basketball; Scott Devereaux, Wenatchee football; Arturo Guerrero, Quincy soccer; Rocky Kulsrud, Liberty Bell track; Dan Martin, Ephrata track; Gary Millard, Eastmont track; Paul Schmekel, Liberty Bell wrestling; Jeff Zehnder, Wenatchee baseball; and Phil Zukowski, Cashmere football.
Female Team Coach
Carlene Anders, Pateros track; Bryan Boesel, Okanogan basketball; Brent Darnell, Cashmere basketball; James Elwyn, Wenatchee swimming; Donene Hendricks, Chelan volleyball; Marni McMahon, Cascade volleyball; Sheri Mortimer, Pateros basketball & fastpitch; Shelly Pflugrath, WVC fastpitch; Dennis Tronson, Cashmere soccer; and Jay Young, Wenatchee bowling.
Male Team
Eastmont track; Ephrata track; Liberty Bell track; Liberty Bell wrestling; Okanogan basketball; Quincy soccer; Wenatchee baseball; Wenatchee basketball; Wenatchee football; and Wenatchee track.
Female Team
Cascade tennis; Cascade volleyball; Cashmere basketball; Cashmere tennis; Chelan volleyball; Okanogan basketball; Pateros basketball; Wenatchee bowling; Wenatchee swimming; and WVC fastpitch.
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